Aunt Kitty's Stories Part 21

Remember how faithful he is to his charge, And barks at the rogues when we set him at large, And guards us by day and by night.

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THE COW.

Thank you, pretty Cow, that made Pleasant milk, to soak my bread; Every day, and every night, Warm, and fresh, and sweet, and white.

Do not chew the hemlock rank, Growing on the weedy bank; But the yellow cowslips eat, They will make it very sweet.

Where the purple violet grows, Where the bubbling water flows, Where the gra.s.s is fresh and fine, Pretty Cow, go there and dine.

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THE b.u.t.tERFLY.

See yonder painted b.u.t.terfly, How gaudily it soars on high, And seems to wish to reach the sky.

Late it was an insect mean, Crawling o'er the shaven green, Or on the cabbage leaves was seen.

And thus, my child, is man on earth, A thing of mean and mortal birth; His life a span; his power a breath.

But his immortal better part Into a higher world will start, When death his soul and body part.

And then he will glorious rise With body fitted to the skies, An Angel's form, not b.u.t.terfly's!

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There was an old wo-man tos-sed up in a bas-ket, Nine-ty times as high as the moon; And where she was go-ing, I could-n't but ask her, For in her hand she car-ried a broom.

"Old wo-man, old wo-man, old wo-man," quoth I, "Whi-ther, O whi-ther, O whi-ther so high?"

"To sweep the cob-webs off the sky!"

"Shall I go with you?" "Aye, by-and-by."

To make your candles last for a', You wives and maids give ear-o!

To put them out 's the only way, Says honest John Boldero.

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A milking, a milking, my maid, "Cow, take care of your heels," she said; "And you shall have some nice new hay, If you'll quietly let me milk away."

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Old father Grey Beard, Without tooth or tongue; If you'll give me your finger, I'll give you my thumb.

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There was an old woman, as I've heard tell, She went to market her eggs for to sell; She went to market all on a market day, And she fell asleep on the king's highway.

There came by a pedlar, whose name was Stout, He cut her petticoats all round about; He cut her petticoats up to the knees, Which made the old woman to s.h.i.+ver and freeze.

When the little old woman first did wake, She began to s.h.i.+ver and she began to shake; She began to wonder, and she began to cry, "Lauk a mercy on me, this can't be I!"

But if it be I, as I hope it be, I've a little dog at home, and he'll know me; If it be I, he'll wag his little tail, And if it be not I, he'll loudly bark and wail.

Home went the little woman all in the dark, Up got the little dog, and he began to bark; He began to bark, so she began to cry, "Lauk a mercy on me, this is none of I."

Bye, baby bunting, Father's gone a hunting, Mother's gone a milking, Sister's gone a silking, Brother's gone to buy a skin To wrap the baby bunting in.

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Away Birds, away!

Take a little, and leave a little, And do not come again; For if you do, I will shoot you through, And then there will be an end of you.

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Ba-a, ba-a, black sheep, Have you any wool?